Yesterday I had a schedule gap before meeting up with the spouse and, for whatever reason, made the boneheaded mistake of leaving my Kindle at home. I’ll spare you the ad nauseum of how much I love the Kindle but I guess I just forgot to put it in my bag. I was looking at about an hour to kill so I decided to finally download the Kindle app for my Droid Eris.

Within about a minute, I was logged in and reading Feed (by Devon Monk). Dude. FUCKING AWESOME. 1. Do I love tinyscreen? No. Changeable fonts help but I don’t really love the backlight. 2. Nope. That pretty much covers it.

I spent the hour soaking up zombie-hunting goodness and then read some more on the Eris at work today during my lunch break. The best part is that when I got home tonight, I turned on my Kindle and syched it and then picked up EXACTLY where I’d left off on my phone.

In short, I love technology. The Kindle is still my favorite reading option but the Droid app is wicked handy in a pinch. Very nice option.

Related, Feed is ENGROSSING. It started a little slow but within a couple of pages I was hooked. I’m about halfway through it now and can’t wait to read the rest. Though there will be a break for a new ep of The Closer.

Today I finally called Verizon. They had me do the soft reset and it took about 10 minutes to boot again. This time when it came up, the screens were back to normal. Except because the boot time was way wrong and there’s clearly something bad with the phone, she transferred me to the REAL tech support. We do another kind of reset and discover there’s a force close error that shouldn’t be there. We delete all my personal info and reset it again. Error. Now we’re going to replace my phone. Great.

Except in the meantime, now all my info is on my SD card and whereas my phone was b0rked but totally functional, now I get this GD force close error almost EVERY time I do something. I can’t wait for Wednesday.

Tonight’s dinner experiment was prompted by a Food Network show. We’re making our own deep dish pizza.

We started with a refrigerated thin crust, a layer of sliced provolone, a layer of pepperoni, a layer of shredded mozz, a layer of sliced mushrooms, a layer of Italian sausage, red bell pepper, red onion, diced tomatoes and topped with pizza sauce. We’re cooking it in the oven at 375 for at least 30 minutes. I’m not convinced we’ll need to cook it longer because everything inside is already cooked.

ETA: At 30 minutes I put foil over the pizza to protect the crust and let it cook for another 20 minutes. Motherfucking DELICIOUS.

Normally I’d just put my earbuds in while I cruise the highway but 1) my Zune is still on its way back from the Zune hospital 2) mini workout-player is in Spouse’s truck and 3) so are the earbuds. All of this means I am FUCKED for a 2 hour drive. Except…

My CR-V has a six disc cd changer. I’ve had a few random discs in there for a while and by random I mean Juliana Hatfield, Mary J. Blige, Kate Nash eclectic (see above re: earbuds). At the last minute, I remembered that I still own some actual physical CDs – I KNOW – so I grabbed some faves. Here was my soundtrack for the drive to the Springs:

1. Patty Griffin, Living with Ghosts

This album remains in my top 5 of all time. Spare and gorgeous, not to mention awesome to sing along with.

2. Sarah Harmer, You Were Here

Smart lyrics, catchy beats – also fun for singalong.

3. Beastie Boys, Ill Communication

I remember when this album came out and there was NOTHING on the radio that sounded like it. It was the first glimpse of the “real” Beasties and their Sabotage video became legendary. ‘Cause you can’t, you won’t and you don’t stop.

4. Chris Isaak, Heart Shaped World

10th grade A.P. English trip to Toronto. I bought the tape and did my damndest to wear it out. Apparently I did the same with this disc because fully two songs won’t play anymore. Boo. Still love EVERY single tune.

5. Joan Osborne, Relish

One of my favorite albums ever and possibly in my top five Debut Albums. What if God was One of Us is still a good song but my fave without question is Right Hand Man. That song made me a fan for life.

6. Van Morrison, Moondance

Sentimental favorite. Someone asked me what my favorite song was a week or so ago – I’ve got a ton of faves but my favorite love song probably EVER is Into the Mystic.

So those are the discs I cranked through on the drive down. The way back has a whole other handful of discs.

I’ve been reading so there will, actually, be an update to the book list but I’m not sure it’ll get done today. On top of that, I may make the drive to Aspen tomorrow to FINALLY get to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I’m inordinately excited about the film and it’s totally worth the trip.

Right now I’m geeking out in my basement while my Kindle software updates and I avoid packing my clothes. Before I go to bed I have to have all my clothing packed and pretty much be ready to go as soon as I get home from work.

Packing list:

roadsnacks

music – update mini-player

clothes:

1. shorts because it will be hotter than the third circle of hell, plus humidity

2. skirt for wedding

3. nicer shorts for reception

4. black flats, green chucks

5. one pair of jeans because seriously, it’s MY vacation

6. toiletry kit

7. sox

8. one sweater, one jacket

9. one purse

10. metric asston of t-shirts in varying degrees of niceness

The most important thing has already been accomplished: loading a Dunkin Donuts locator onto my droid.

1. The iPad is designed to entertain your finger, an e-reader to entertain your eye.

2. The Kindle isn’t a superior reading experience, it’s a superior delivery experience.

These things are tied in my mind because the iPad was billed as a Kindle-killer. Admittedly I am a non-Apple geek (They make nice stuff but it’s wicked expensive. I’m looking for the alternative that fits my budget.) but I wasn’t all that interested in the iPad. I HAVE a Kindle (which I love and will get to in a minute) and a Droid Eris by HTC. From what I’ve seen, my Eris does all the stuff that an iPhone does – at least the stuff that I WANT it to, as I’ve got no interest in watching TV/movies on my phone – and cost a fraction of the price. Not only that, but Verizon never drops my calls. Never. And I live in the Timbuck-3 mountains.

So if I’ve got a touchscreen phone and all the apps I can stand and an mp3 player that holds a ton of music and movies, as well as an e-reader that checks my email and surfs the web – the iPad is obsolete FOR ME. I get that there are people who want everything in the same gadget but I really don’t. I like having a separate mp3 player because it means I’m less likely to break it – my phone has to withstand a lot of abuse. My phone is built for portability and wicked web access, so I don’t need a laptop hardly ever – unless I really want one.

All of this brings me to the Kindle. Yes, it’s a superior delivery system. I can get a book (including a whole mess of FREE books) from pretty much anywhere, anytime. I’d argue about it not being a superior reading experience though, and for a couple of reasons. It’s much a lighter than a regular book. It’s far more portable and allows me to do everything a regular text would do (bookmarks, notes) as well as things it can’t (email, web). Not only that but I can carry up to 1,500 books around all the time. I’ve got 207 on there currently and I love that if my attention wanders, I can just hit the Home button and switch to something else. On a plane or roadtrip, this portability is invaluable. It’s great for waiting rooms, lunch breaks and coffee stops.

As to the experience – I know that Spouse loves the fact that he can increase the text size whenever he wants. It makes reading in low light easier. The auto text-reader is also nice, if a bit robotic.

I don’t miss turning pages. It always surprises me that I really ENJOY reading on the Kindle. I’m an English major. I’ve been reading voraciously since the age of 3. I LOVE books. Yet I find that I don’t miss the feel of paper in my hands or even the smell of the pages – things I would have sworn at one point were integral to my reading experience. In fact, when I HAVE to read a paper text now (for classes) I find I’m annoyed with how cumbersome and unwieldly they are. I don’t like having to lug them around and having to flip back and forth rather than just click a bookmark is irritating. The lack of backlight makes my Kindle page just as easy to read as a printed page, but better for the environment.

So yeah – when people talk to me about how they love books and can’t POSSIBLY like an e-reader, I call bullshit. Read a book on a Kindle and if you’re not converted, I’ll believe you. I just don’t think it’ll happen.

So the awesome news is that I now have lots of random yoga workouts to go through and help with some motivation.

Not so awesome, Spouse is sick. He’s actually been sick for several days and doesn’t seem to be getting much better. As a result I’m trapped on the couch watching what is possibly one of the top five worst movies of all time: Land of the Lost. My only explanation is that he’s sick and a bit delusional and that’s what is making this steaming pile of shit entertaining. To him.

Meanwhile, I’ve got TWO DAYS OFF IN A ROW. If I didn’t have a metric asston of stuff to do, it would almost feel like a weekend!

Before we left, I did some internet research on yoga studios that would be close to where we were staying. I found about four that sounded like they’d be a good fit for my needs and one of them had a pretty sweet intro deal. Being on budget and in a new city, yoga deals are important. I can go on about this ad nauseam but I think yoga is an oddly interpersonal form of exercise, one that can be shaped entirely by your teacher/instructor and your reaction to him/her. Just because you don’t care for a particular teacher or class doesn’t mean the studio won’t be a good or even great fit for you – it just means you haven’t had a chance to find out yet. For this reason, having a deal on classes or even free classes for new students is an incredibly valuable resource for studios – it gives you a chance to sell how awesome you are.

For those reasons, I made my first stop at Urban Yoga Spa. 1. Love their site. Clear, concise and no pictures of hot bods to make you feel self-conscious about showing up. Especially love that you can turn the music off, as it’s my least favorite thing about the site. 2. No woo woo. When you read the class descriptions, you get a sense that it’s going to be a thorough, energetic and relaxing experience. No chanting required. 3. Even though I was just in town for a visit, they gave me the unlimited yoga for a week for $25 deal. I wasn’t sure they would since I’m not local but it was a sweet deal and it’s what decided me on their studio for the week.

I am not generally a fan of hot yoga. Rather, I like hot yoga up to a certain temperature. My ideal max temp is about 85 degrees (Forrest-style) and Urban Yoga Spa is a little hotter – 90-105 degrees. I have mentioned before that I sweat like a center for the Detroit Lions; it’s hot enough there that I started sweating the minute I walked into the rooms. That said, I didn’t find the temps at UYS to be unbearable. Don’t get me wrong, it was HOT but not to the point that I felt uncomfortable, light-headed or any of the other stuff you don’t want to have happen. In addition, the rooms were clean and avoided that whole ‘stank’ that can sometimes happen with a hot yoga place. One studio is full of mirrors and the other doesn’t have any – in case that matters to you.

First class was 90 minute Hot Hatha. I didn’t wear my glasses, what with the sweat, and I think the teacher was maybe Amber? I don’t remember if she introduced herself or not. As I frequently forget that when I teach, I’m not casting any stones. It was a solid 90 minute class.

• Things I loved: Clear and concise verbal cues, modifications starting slow and getting harder, encouragement to take breaks, encouragement to ENJOY the class and laugh/smile, logically formatted classes so that no one was trying to do headstand at the end of class when their arms are cashed, SUPPORTED BACKBENDS. Omg, y’all I was SO HAPPY about that. Wheel is a pet peeve of mine, especially in mixed-level classes.

• Things I didn’t love: Savasana was weird. As if it was supposed to be an unguided on-your-own relaxation, except that as soon as the instructor was out of the room people started packing up and leaving. Not sure about you, but it’s hard for me to stay focused when 15 people are packing up their stuff and leaving because it’s pretty much impossible for that to happen quietly. As far as negatives go, this one ain’t that big.

Second class: Hot Hatha Hour with Bret (if I remember correctly). Very similar in structure and content to the 90 minute Hatha class. Same great directions, same unwillingness to take the class so seriously. The class was a bit pared down to fit the hour but still a nice, thorough workout. I remember the savasana being a little more directed or maybe it was just that everyone didn’t pack up as soon as the class was over. Loved it.

Third class: Power Vinyasa Hour with Drew.

• Things I loved: Dude. If I had my own place, this is how teachers would teach. Drew – like the previous two instructors – had GREAT verbal cues, kept it light and encouraged smiling and taking it as easy or hard as you wanted/needed. Same practical class structure and super helpful adjustments.

• Things I didn’t love: Nothing. Really great class.

By this time I was wearing out my yoga clothes where wearing out = sweating ALL THE WAY THROUGH THEM. I had to take a day off to wash and let dry my yoga pants, as I’d brought less of them than shirts for some reason. Clearly wasn’t expecting to want a full week of hot yoga.

Foursquare told me that Restorative on Friday was a great class but that I should get there early. Getting there early was DEFINITELY a good tip.

Restorative with Jennifer:

• Things I loved: It was a nice solid stretching class, low key, relaxing.

• Things I didn’t love: The verbal cues were a little… odd. Several times I had to look up to figure out exactly what we were doing – and this stood out only because I hadn’t had to do that in any of the prior classes. Because of that, I’d say maybe not the best class for a beginner. Also, a little woo woo. I don’t mind woo woo, when I’m in the mood for it/the class is billed as such. Other than that, when I’m not EXPECTING yoga philosophy I generally don’t love it. *shrug* Your mileage may vary.

Studio in general:

• I loved that they had very reasonable water/mat rental/towel rental prices. Totally forgot to bring water with me to the first class. Whoops.

• I loved that I saw people of all sizes, shapes and ages in every single class. You can tell from the instruction in the individual classes that everyone is encouraging of making yoga accessible to EVERYBODY. That’s my biggest thing and it was fantastic.

• Everyone was very friendly. The person who was working the desk at my first class made a point of talking to me when she saw me in a different class that we were both attending. It was a really nice welcoming atmosphere.

• Music! There was music in each class, a kind of nondescript and low key new-agey thing that was totally non-intrusive.

• Chanting – there really wasn’t any some optional Oms at the end of a couple of the classes and I totally appreciated how the instructors were VERY CLEAR that they were optional. Also done in a matter-of-fact and non-woo woo sort of way so as to be generally appealing. Well done.
• They have donation classes on the weekend. I love that. Yoga accessibility is really important if we want to help people improve their health and well-being. It sounds corny but I believe it to be true. I love when studios not only say it, they back it up. If you’re not convinced you want to try a week of yoga there, definitely hit a donation class. You won’t regret it.

Honestly the only thing I didn’t love was the heat and that – along with any aforementioned nits – is  MY PERSONAL experience. There are people who love the super hot classes, I’m just not one of them. There are people who love woo woo, when I’m not expecting it I’m not one of them. I actually enjoy a good Om or two but I’m not much for chanting in classes so this stuff suited me fine. I’m a sucker for great direction and safe classes – both of those things were in spades here.

If it tells you anything, I recommended this place to no less than three locals while I was in town.

No one is perfect and that’s why I’m a bit iffy on the whole ‘guru’ thing. For years in the yoga community, if you didn’t have a guru you weren’t considered “legit.” Yoga was like an apprenticeship. If you were like me in the blue-collar sticks, good luck finding your guru. It’s one of the things that I thinks makes the Yoga Alliance great (and terrible) that schools have cropped up all over so people can get training if they want it. Unfortunately, if you want ANY training with some big name attached to it be prepared to shell out upwards of $3,000.

I was very lucky in that I had a great local teacher and found a phenomenal studio in the metro Detroit area (only a couple of hours commute) where I could complete teacher training. My experience is that those schools aren’t faring so well in the current economy and it’s a shame because they provided AFFORDABLE and THOROUGH training – both things that factored largest in my search for further education. Rising Sun Yoga helped me become a great teacher without indoctrinating me to any one ‘true’ way to do yoga or teach a yoga class. My education was heavy on anatomy and physiology with a solid grounding in other yoga practices (chanting, mantra, pranayama, philosophy). I left feeling PREPARED and I didn’t have to fly across country or spend thousands of dollars to do it.

My training was great and I love teaching but it’s made it harder for me to take classes. I’m reluctant to go to local classes because enough people know that I teach that it might be weird. I’ve also been in classes where I heard teachers say things that were just flat-out physiologically incorrect or where they don’t offer modifications for people who may need a break or not be ready for the practice. While I would LOVE to not notice those things, it’s difficult – especially as I like to do modifications during my own practice. When I do my own thing, it can throw off the teacher or other students and while I’m not going to sacrifice my body, I’m sensitive to the fact that it can be wicked uncomfortable to have someone not going with the flow.

It’s because of those things that I’ve always placed a lot of emphasis – A LOT – on my students working at their own pace and providing all sorts of modifications (easier as well as harder) all the time. I’m a big believer in Choose-Your-Own Yoga.

This is all a long way of getting to the fact that I’m NOT teaching 5 days a week, like I used to. I miss it and I miss the regimen that helped to keep me on board with my own practice. It’s been a while since I’ve done a regular 5-day-a-week hourlong practice but I’m trying to get back on the horse. While a rigid routine (Bikram, Ashtanga) might be helpful, I get bored. I like to be able to adjust to whatever feels right in the moment. In keeping with that, I’ve added barefoot running to my routine as well as some Pilates. I picked up an at-home rubber-bandlike reformer at work and I’m kind of stoked about breaking it out today.

Yoga isn’t about perfection or even the pursuit of perfection: it’s about trying to be BETTER. Nothing more, nothing less.